Laughing Planet - Corvallis

It's hard to believe that I have a new favorite restaurant (especially when you consider the predecessor), but Laughing Planet is worth the change! The flavors are amazing and the company uses all natural and many local (to Oregon) ingredients. On their website About Us page, they declare, "We are dedicated to making wholesome food accessible to regular folks with time constraints, keeping it affordable, fun, and socially responsible." I love stumbling upon socially responsible and tasty places!

Laughing Planet is very "Corvallis"... if that was an adjective. There are dinosaurs on every table, though the collection may be all on one table if there happens to be a five year old boy in the restaurant. Artsy pictures adorn the walls, and the place is packed with your typical vest wearing, peace sign sporting, organic farmer-types.

Why? Laughing Planet is a mostly vegetarian restaurant. Hear me out! My previous favorite restaurant was Burgerville, so it can't be too drastic of a change. For those of you who wont read on without some meaty incentive, LP's menu does give you the option to add free range, organic chicken to your dish (though, we joked that it must be a rare occurrence, because it took our servers an extra long time to bring out our meal).

I really enjoy meat, which is why when a vegetarian coworker recommended Laughing Planet to me I avoided it. Does anyone else get a really bland image/taste in their mind/mouth when you think of vegetarian food? My brain seems to ignore Indian food and skip right to raw vegetables and tofu. Anyway, after hearing so many comments about this restaurant and suffering a gigantic craving for a rice bowl, I convinced Morgan to go with me on a lunch break.

Oh my deliciousness! The flavors really are unexpectedly vibrant and the whole meal feels light, healthy even. You leave feeling full and completely satisfied. The prices are great too! My lunch was $7.

Don't worry, Dad! I'm taking you there the next time you come to visit.